Gum disease affects a significant number of people worldwide, and is a leading cause of tooth loss. Gum disease usually begins with gingivitis, in which bacteria in dental plaque build up, causing the gums to become inflamed. Dental plaque is a soft deposit which forms on teeth and is comprised of an accumulation of bacteria and bacterial by-products. Plaque adheres tenaciously at the points of irregularity or discontinuity, e.g., on rough calculus surfaces, at the gum line and the like. A wide variety of formulations have been developed to incorporate color and other ingredients into stripes, to improve the appearance of the toothpaste and thus increase patient compliance. However, formulating striped toothpaste presents challenges in terms of preserving the required rheological, viscosity and foaming and properties while incorporating active ingredients in effective amounts. Striped toothpaste products typically include two materials. A first material, usually white, is at the crimp end of the toothpaste tube and makes up most of its bulk. A second material, having a different color, e.g., red, is located at the other end of the tube, and there is a channeling means, such as a thin perforated pipe to the nozzle of the toothpaste tube, which allows the two materials to be extruded together, the second material forming a stripe on the first material. Typically, the two materials are not in separate compartments, and they should be sufficiently viscous that they will not mix, but not so viscous that it becomes difficult to dispense the toothpaste. The two materials may have substantially the same composition, except for the coloring, or may have different compositions.
Calcium carbonate abrasives, for example, chalk, are commonly used as an abrasive in toothpaste, but require a suitable binder to provide a paste formulation having good viscosity and mouthfeel. Magnesium aluminum silicate may be used as a binder in such formulations, but also may be costly. Alginates, such as sodium alginate and calcium alginate, have been suggested as alternative binders, but sodium alginate tends to result in low viscosity, drippy formulations, while calcium alginate tends to confer a stringy texture, so neither are ideal for this purpose.
Accordingly, there exists a need for novel compositions that are suitable for use in striped toothpastes. This invention is directed to these, as well, as other, important ends.